WE NEED YOU WITH US
Welcome to the third edition of DARE Magazine, which highlights our 400 student-athletes
and those who lead them. I am excited that, in this issue, we will introduce you to two new
head coaches and their visions for their programs.
The first is women basketball’s new leader, Carlene Mitchell, who has assembled an incredible staff. Most of whom are disciples of
legendary Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer. They all bring toughness, drive, and the experience of playing deep into the
NCAA’s, which is something our program has tasted and desires to repeat.
Our second recent addition is new baseball skipper Andrew Checketts. We are extremely encouraged by the outreach from alums,
players, and the infamous Hammerheads, who have pledged support to build our program since Andrew’s hiring.
The “Campaign for Gaucho Park” is the first step in a series of game-changing improvements Coach Checketts is mandating while also
creating a new support group within the Gaucho Fund, which he is calling the “Gaucho9.” Nine doesn’t represent the number of supporters, but will symbolically reference the entire team effort needed to win and compete at the
highest level, which many feel our program can. The Big West Conference is committed to sending teams to Omaha and, through the support of the Gaucho9, we will aim to be one of them.
I’m optimistic that we can continue on the current trajectory of growth and success that
we are experiencing in UCSB Athletics. Our success will be a direct result of how we grow the
Gaucho Fund ranks.
Those who want to be inspired simply need to back these magnificent young men and
women as a donor. Witness this investment into someone who wants nothing more than the
ability to compete against the best. And not just compete, but win! To move UCSB forward, we need everyone. It’s you in the stands; it’s
you following your Gauchos from afar; it’s you who takes pride in telling your co-workers we’re playing in the NCAA’s, again. It’s you who
flies the flag for your university. The Gauchos play for you and they need you to achieve at the highest level.
Today, no one can argue the university’s place among the best academically. No one can ever claim that this is not the most unique
and special place to spend your college days. And, please now, who will waste their breath and tell you living in Santa Barbara isn’t anything but a pure slice of heaven (Soccer Heaven and more, of course)?
Support, financially and emotionally, is the game within the game. Most of the national and local competition we face is in it to win.
So, our donors, alums, parents, and the community must out-support them to win the games, retain and recruit the best coaches, and
improve the facilities, which directly affects recruiting the best students and athletes. It’s a healthy dose of
us versus them. It’s what a top-notch university does across campus: fighting for the nation’s best faculty,
valuable research funding, and the best students. To achieve the highest rankings.
It’s what UCSB does.
Yes, you will be inspired by watching these gifted blue and gold student-athletes play their collective hearts out for this university while becoming role models for a community who supports them.
They came here to be the best. A tax-deductible donation to the Gaucho Fund, a 501 (3)(c) gift, provides
this precious opportunity.
Competing at the highest level opens a door to a dream these young men, women and
coaches had when they said “yes” to being a Gaucho. We are a destination for the best students, faculty and, with your help, student-athletes in the nation. Thank you for supporting
our courageous spirit.

he majestic landscape of the UCSB campus is hard to
describe. Visitors marvel at the location on the Pacific’s
edge. Students flow from point to point on pathways
accompanied by sunshine, mountain views and the scent of the
Pacific Ocean in the air. At the heart of this active area of campus
is the site marked for a new athletics aquatics center.
A storied pool that has served a country and a campus for almost 70 years is the home of Gaucho swimming, diving and water polo. But a new place for future Olympians, All-Americans, youth
and the community is needed. A 65-meter haven for water polo, swimming and now diving
will be a place where new memories are created for the next generation of Gauchos
and the active Santa Barbara community which will play there. A place befitting
champions that will be spearheaded by a pair of champions committed to
the cause.
Wolf Wigo and Gregg Wilson are two of the most decorated
coaches at UCSB and are certainly icons within their sports nationally. The pair, with so many accomplishments to their credit, now
take on the toughest, and perhaps, most important, challenge
of their coaching careers as they dive headfirst into the fundraising effort for the new aquatics center.
“The new facility will allow us to be competitive with
the rest of the major universities we compete against
and combined with our academic reputation, location,
history of winning and quality of coaching, this new

PROGRAM OF CHAMPIONS
Our aquatics programs have long represented
UC Santa Barbara with pride among the top
programs in the country. In fact, of our campus’
four national championships,
three have been won in the
water (men’s swimming ’67,
men’s water polo ’79, and
women’s water polo ’89).
The recent admission of our men’s
swimming & diving program into the
prestigious Pac-12 Conference is just the latest
indication that our programs are poised for even
greater success.

JASON LEZAK:
OLYMPIC ICON
facility will enable us to move consistently into the top levels of swimming
and water polo world wide, not just regionally and nationally,” Wilson
said. “In a sense, our aquatics facility would reflect our academic
level and recognition.”
The academic level and recognition Wilson speaks of continues to rise for UCSB. Membership in the prestigious American
Association of Universities, a faculty that includes five Nobel
Laureates and a student-body that is among the most academically accomplished in the country give UCSB a presence among

Quite simply: an American
Olympic Hero – and a
Gaucho. He pulled off the
most exciting comeback
win in swimming history
by chasing down France’s
Alain Bernard at the
wall, preserving Michael
Phelp’s quest to claiming
eight gold medals at the
Beijing Olympics.

the elite institutions.
To accompany the status of the campus, Wilson and Wigo
are committed to leading the effort for the nearly $10-million dollar project to install the new aquatics center.
To raise the funds in a time of economic uncertainty is particularly difficult, but challenges
and accomplishment are nothing new
for the determined pair of Gaucho
leaders.
“I have faced many challenges in
the past,” Wigo said. “Usually when
you are entering an arena that you
are not very experienced in, it is a
challenge. While I do have some
fundraising experience, I have done
nothing of this magnitude, however
I am up for the task as I feel it is a
worthy cause that is long overdue.”
Wigo’s resume is among the
finest and most diverse in American
water polo. A three-time Olympian, who
competed in the 1996, 2000 and 2004
Olympic Games, he became the first player
hailing from east of the Rockies to make the US
Olympic squad since 1956.
After scoring a team-leading 16 goals during
the 2000 games in Sydney, Wigo was named to
the five-player All-World First Team by NBC Sports
and USA Water Polo, making him a finalist for
World Water Polo Player of the Year. He com-

pleted his tenure with the national squad in 2004 by serving as Team USA’s captain in Athens. Selected as USA Water Polo’s Male
Athlete of the Year in 1999, 2000 and 2003, Wigo also helped the Americans win gold at the 1997 FINA World Championships.
His college career was equally impressive: two National Championships, four All-America honors, NCAA National Player of the
Year and Stanford’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
In addition to his success in the water, Wigo spent four years on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange working as an equity
option trader with Cole Rossler Capital Management. He has also served as the color commentator for NBC during their water
polo coverage of the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2009 FINA World Championships.
Wilson has been at UCSB for 35 (going into 36) years. He was named Big West Coach of the Year a remarkable 27 times while
running the men’s and women’s programs at UCSB. During that time, Wilson posted a dual meet record of 351-239-1 (199-127
with the men and 138-106-1 with the women). Even more impressive, his squads have collected 39 Big West Conference Championships, 26 men’s titles and 13 women’s team titles. In fact, the Gaucho men won 23 consecutive titles from 1979-2001, with
Wilson leading the way.
Last year, Wilson’s men’s team made the move to the Pac-12 where they held their own among the nation’s best programs.
“Certainly raising the $10 million needed to complete most of the pool project is a little daunting, and maybe it is the biggest challenge I have faced,” Wilson said. “But, trying to compete at the highest level of NCAA Division I swimming every year is
extremely difficult and we do it. My teams’ accomplishments in the pool and in the classroom can stand up to most of the top
programs in the country. So, yes, we will have to put the big psych on for this one, but the NCAA Championships, the Olympic Trials and the Olympics have prepared me in a lot of ways to face difficult tasks.”

6,695
SQUARE FEET

Of dynamic tensile structure
shading for stands & athletes

6 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

1,450

SPECTATOR SEATS

With great views to the pool
and mountains beyond

1 Million

300

VISITORS & COMPETITORS

DAYS OF SUNSHINE

The estimated number to use the
facility over a 10-year period

GALLONS OF WATER
The number saved per year
compared with the existing
Campus Pool

The average number of days
of sunshine per year at UCSB

428,000
POUNDS OF CO2

The estimated number saved
per year by the new facility’s
state-of-the-art pool equipment

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 7

Legacy from COAST to COAST
Carlene Mitchell became a member of the Gaucho family on May 19 as she was introduced
as the fifth head coach in women’s basketball history. After spending a decade under the
tutelage of Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer, Mitchell inherits a Gaucho program that has
won 14 of the past 16 Big West regular season titles.
Aside from bringing a winning tradition across the country to an established program,
Mitchell and her new staff plan on bringing their energy to the Santa Barbara community to
help build a fan base that will enjoy supporting an annual winner.
“We hope to bridge some of those gaps with the community and bring a new excitement,” Mitchell said. “Our staff is really different. You can meet us on the street and
we’re going to talk to you. That’s just who we are, it’s not who we’re trained to be.”
Mitchell took some time to talk about her move to California, bringing in familiar faces to her staff and what style of play the Gauchos will have.
As someone who worked in such a high-profile women’s basketball program for a
decade, you certainly had opportunities to become a head coach. What attracted you
most to UCSB to make this your first head coaching position?
On the initial call with Athletic Director, Mark Massari, he asked me one question:
“could I handle the expectations of winning and cutting down nets?” It ignited my
competitive spirit! After researching the program’s rich basketball tradition and
academic standards, I felt it was a great place to be a head coach at for a long time. A
basketball culture was intact and it was important to know that the administration, community and support groups truly cared about the women’s programs.
What are your first impressions of Santa Barbara and the west coast?
On the approach into the airport, I was in awe of the gorgeous view from above and once I
landed, the relaxed feeling I got was as if I had lived here before. The pace of life has slowed
from 75 mph to 65 mph, but for a girl from Arkansas where 55 mph was speeding, it has
been a welcomed change. I love the sense of community and the lifestyle that Santa Barbara
offers.
When you assembled your coaching staff, you brought in some former Rutgers players
you had recruited to play there. Was it easier to hire Courtney Locke and Heather Zurich
because of that?
These two exemplified what it meant to be a true student-athlete during their playing
days at Rutgers. I also felt it was crucial to surround myself with people that shared my
definition of hard work, loyalty and my inner drive to be successful on and off the court.
From a recruiting standpoint, I have a staff that has played in nothing less than a Sweet
16 – we have been at the highest levels and know the elements needed. They will take
care of our team as I once cared for them, which will allow parents to rest at night
knowing their daughters will be taken care of. Also I’m honored to help grow the C.
Vivian Stringer coaching tree.
What is the most important thing you learned from coaching alongside C. Vivian Stringer?
She taught me that through this game of basketball, we are teaching life lessons to
young women. I will take pride in being a great leader so that the atmosphere we
create can help our young women grow and be challenged in all aspects of their
lives. The team will see the big picture and realize what an impact they can have on
so many lives and that the ultimate reward is to always give back to others.

8 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

Though you cannot officially begin practice until mid-October, how excited are you to get on the floor with this team?
I am starting to get that antsy ‘How many days until we start?’ feeling. The team has made me smile with their texts, calls and comments
about how ready they are to start summer workouts. That is a special mindset knowing that great teams have players that understand the
most critical individual growth takes place in the summer and off-season.
What can fans expect to see from you, in regards to the style of play, as a head coach?
As I promised at my press conference, our team will be a disciplined team that will play hard and take pride on the defensive end of the
court. I believe, with the nucleus of experienced players and the addition of the freshmen, we will have the depth to play a variety of defenses at an extremely intense level. Our style of defense should lead to transition points and trips to the free throw line. As always, time,
situation and score will determine when we execute and who the ball needs to go through, and that could be a different player every
night. Our team identity will be hard-nosed, mentally-tough and a team that will play hard for 40 minutes.
You can invite any three coaches (basketball or otherwise), dead or alive, to dinner, who would you choose and what would you want to
learn from each of them?
Phil Jackson – he has the ability to blend superstars with role players and have them buy into their roles for the team success. He manages
to make everyone feel a part of the success. Also I would get his top 10 ‘must-read books.’
John Wooden – his teams were so grounded in the fundamentals, they bought into the system and they knew when they had made a
mistake without a coach saying anything. I would ask how he knew his teams were truly prepared? What were the
signs or questions? I want our teams to have that same aura.
Dean Smith – I love the fact his former players truly respected him and
are loyal to the program by coming back. I would ask him how he kept
the program at such an elite level year after year. Also, what was
his style that laid the program’s foundation where former players
want to now give back?
UCSB has won 14 of the past 16 Big West regular-season titles. Does
that scare you a little to continue that run, or does it excite you
that you are inheriting a program with that much tradition?
It was a major reason I wanted to be the head coach at
UCSB! It excites me and will challenge me because, as
a competitive person by nature, losing isn’t an option.
In time, the team will take on my personality as all
teams become the personality of the head coach.
It’s nothing foreign to me as I was at a program for
10 years where the expectations were always high
year after year; it is all I know.
What 3 things can you not live without?
Toothbrush
High heels
Starbucks coffee
Other than women’s basketball, what is your favorite
sport to watch and who are your favorite teams?
I like men’s college basketball. I have been a closet
Duke fan for years. I love the style of play and am a
huge fan of Mike Krzyzewski. He was top five on my list
of coaches to have dinner with.
I admire Jamie Dixon’s teams at Pittsburgh because they
play with an edge and with the team concept that is
slowly being lost in college sports.
Sunday NFL games have always been something I enjoy
watching, but I’m not sure about 10 am kick offs. I like the
Patriots because of Bill Belichick’s coaching style.
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 9

THE TIE THAT BINDS

What I Learned from

C. Vivian Stringer

Sometimes, the word ‘legend’ gets
tossed around pretty loosely.
In the case of C. Vivian Stringer, the
head women’s basketball coach at Rutgers
University, the word ‘legend’ might not be
strong enough.
From her days as the head coach at Cheyney
State in Philadelphia, to an eight-year run at
the University of Iowa and then, beginning
in 1995, an incredibly successful stint at
Rutgers, Stringer has earned her way to legend
status. Her teams have gone to the National
Championship game, the Final Four and numerous NCAA Tournaments.
Stringer could easily be called a legend purely based on the
success that her teams have experienced, but those who
have played for her and coached with her know better. She
has helped shape the lives of literally hundreds of women.
Yes Stringer, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, is a
legend.
Four of the lives C. Vivian Stringer has helped to shape are
now on the UCSB women’s basketball staff. Here is what her
influence means to them.

Carlene Mitchell

coached alongside Stringer
from 2001-2011 at Rutgers:

“After spending 10 years with one of the classiest women in the sport, a brilliant motivator and one of the hardest-working people in this profession, it is
nearly impossible to choose one thing that will impact my coaching style the
most. In the early stages of my head coaching journey I truly appreciate her
approach of ‘sweating the small things.’ Whether it was during the recruiting process of a top-five player or a NCAA Tournament scouting report, she
had an ability in seeing the smallest of details. She has trained me to those
standards and I know it will pay dividends, especially during my first season as
a head coach, and will impact my career for years to come.”
10 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

Robin Thormodsgaard
played for Stringer
from 1983-84 at Iowa:

“Coach Stringer taught me the level
of passion, intensity and focus that it
takes to get to the next level. When
she arrived at Iowa, we were in the
bottom half of the Big 10. Her second
year, my senior year, we were tied for
the Big 10 title and playing in front of a
record crowd of 22,157 people. It was
an honor learning from someone
with so much knowledge and an
untouchable work ethic.”

Courtney Locke

played for Stringer
from 2002-06 at Rutgers:
“I learned several lessons from Coach Stringer
but one that has stuck with me through the
years is hard work. Nothing worth having
comes easy and you have to work hard
and sacrifice for the things you want.
That’s the mentality we want our
players to have on and off the
court! It’s a life lesson that will
last beyond basketball.”

Heather Zurich

played for Stringer
from 2005-09 at Rutgers:
“What she taught me that I want to bring here is just how to
overcome any adversity and how to be a strong, successful
woman. She used basketball as a way to teach life lessons.
It was not just a game, but she would use it to teach you
how to relate to others and how to work with a team.
She’s got to be the strongest person I know. What
she’s gone through in her life, you have to fight
through and persevere and that’s what she’s
had to do in her life.”
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 11

New Regime, Same Dominance
The Carlene Mitchell Era begins when the curtain rises on the
2011-12 season November 1.

U

CSB’s new leader inherits a veteran team
that returns All-Big West First Team pick
Emilie Johnson, All-Freshman Team pick
Nicole Nesbit, Honorable Mention selection
Sweets Underwood and key components of
last year’s team in Kelsey Adrian, Angelei
Aguirre and Melissa Zornig.

Johnson is the Gauchos’ sparkplug and a feared
scoring threat all over the court. She is one of the
best combo guards in the Big West and her work ethic
makes her a quiet leader on the team. Underwood
emerged as a force in the paint as a sophomore and her
continued development is key for Santa Barbara.
Nesbit got better and better as her freshman season evolved.
If that evolution can continue, she stands to be a primary option at point
guard for the UCSB coaching staff.
Let’s not forget that this team won its 14th Big West regular-season title
in the last 16 years a season ago. Plus, with three new additions to the team
and all but three players back, the Gauchos are primed for another run at yet
another postseason berth.
UCSB will have to battle through a tough schedule that includes an
outstanding home slate and some real challenges on the road.
In addition to the entertaining Big West Conference teams, the Gauchos
will welcome Washington, UNLV, St. Mary’s, Pepperdine, San Francisco, Loyola
Marymount and Cal State Bakersfield. In all, UCSB will play 15 regular season
home games and one exhibition.
The road schedule is highlighted by a match-up at USC. The Gauchos and
Trojans battled in the 2011 WNIT and will renew the series on December
13. The schedule also includes a trip to the Pacific Northwest for games
at Seattle and Portland, to the Southwest for games at UTEP and New
Mexico State and to Colorado for a match-up with Northern Colorado.

Season tickets are available online at UCSBgauchos.com, by
calling (805) 893-UCSB or in person from the Athletics Ticket
Office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building on campus.
12 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

OLÉ
Olé dons several tributes to past legends. The mask maintains the
mystery of the Gaucho and honors the famous “Fantom of the Dome”
who wore a mask or goggles as he fired up Thunderdome crowds during
the 1990s. Olé performs in conjunction with band, dance and cheer to
rally support for the Gauchos on campus and in the community.
Olé is available for outside or campus promotions, contact him at
ole@athletics.ucsb.edu

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 13

Triple Threat

U

CSB will battle a difficult schedule as it aims
for its unprecedented third straight NCAA
Tournament bid. In 2011-12, the UCSB men’s
basketball team will try to make school history. In a
word, the Gauchos will be aiming for a THREE-PEAT.

ORLANDO’S BUSY SUMMER
Ah, the lazy days of summer. Ha! Not if you’re Gaucho
hoops star Orlando Johnson. The senior-to-be and twotime Big West Tournament scoring champ and tournament
MVP had a busy summer. It started in June when he took
part in the Kevin Durant Skills Academy in Chicago. In July,
after a standout showing at the Durant Academy, Johnson
was invited to take part in the prestigious LeBron James
Skills Academy in Akron. Following a few weeks back in
Santa Barbara, where he attended summer school and
worked out, O.J. traveled to Colorado Springs for the Team
USA World University Games training camp where he was
one of 22 players competing for a spot on the U.S. National
Team that will compete in China in August.

WEARING THE RED,
WHITE AND BLUE
Orlando Johnson’s summer
didn’t calm down much following his stints at the Durant and
James academies. After a couple
weeks at home in Santa Barbara,
he headed to Colorado Springs
where he was one of 22 collegiate
players offered the chance to
tryout for the team that would
represent the United States at
the World University Games. Not
only did Johnson make Team
USA, he was selected to carry the
American flag and lead the U.S.
delegation as it took part in the
Game’s opening ceremonies.
14 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

UCSB will be battling for its third straight Big West Tournament title and
NCAA Tournament berth, something the program has never achieved. In fact,
until last season, Santa Barbara had never won consecutive tournament titles nor
been to consecutive NCAA tourneys.
The road back to the NCAA tourney isn’t an easy one. The Gauchos will play
one of their toughest non-conference schedules ever. They will have Thunderdome dates with San Diego State, UNLV and Santa Clara, and road games against
BYU, Washington and Cal.
Another highlight of the 2011-12 schedule will be the Big West Conference
opener. The Gauchos will start league play against Long Beach State, the league’s
regular season champ in 2011 and the team they beat in each of the last two
league tournament championship games. The teams will meet on Jan. 21 at the
T-Dome and then again in Long Beach on Feb. 22.

Hoops fans can catch the Gauchos’ home game against Long Beach
State and all of the other great Big West match-ups, plus any one of the
non-conference games on the schedule – including UNLV or
San Diego State – by purchasing the Big West + 1 Mini-Plan for just $100.
Call the UCSB Athletics Ticket Office at (805) 893-UCSB or log on to
UCSBgauchos.com for more information.
While the schedule will be a challenge, the Gauchos will embark on the
2011-12 season with a variety of dangerous weapons. Leading the list is two-time
Big West Tournament MVP Orlando Johnson. After initially making himself available for the NBA Draft in the spring, Johnson elected to return to Santa Barbara
for his senior season. As a junior, he averaged 21.0 points per game, set school
records for points in a season and game, and established himself as one of the
best players on the West Coast.
Johnson is half of a dynamic duo. The other half is senior guard James Nunnally who averaged 16.3 points per game in 2010-11. Like Johnson, Nunnally was
a member of the Big West All-Tournament Team and is one of the most potent
offensive players in the league.
UCSB also returns two of its best post players in Jaimé Serna and 7-foot-3
Greg Somogyi. Serna was the third Gaucho player named to the All-Tournament
Team in 2011 and Somogyi is the top shot-blocker in the Big West.
In addition to nine returnees from last year’s team, Santa Barbara will add
a pair of high-profile transfers. Point guard Nate Garth, a regular for two years
at New Mexico, and forward Keegan Hornbuckle, a transfer from Colorado, each
become eligible after redshirting the 2010-11 season. Garth, who is expected
to seize a spot in the starting lineup, will have two years of eligibility remaining
while Hornbuckle has three.
The Gauchos will also add five talented freshmen to the fold. The first-year
player most likely to have an impact is 6-foot-5 guard John Green. Green, who
spent the 2010-11 season at Westwind International Prep in Phoenix, is a 2010
graduate of Castlemont High School in Oakland. He is very athletic and mature
and should be a nice complement to the Johnson-Nunnally tandem.

THE GAUCHOS GET AN EARLY START, EH!
The UCSB men’s basketball team will take its show on the road in September as it
embarks on a 10-day trip to eastern Canada. The Gauchos will depart for Toronto on
September 4 and return on September 13. During their stay, they will play two games
each in Toronto and Ottawa and one in Montreal. There will also be plenty of time for
sightseeing and practices. While the core of last year’s UCSB team will make the trip,
so will two redshirt transfers and all five freshmen.

The Gauchos’ attractive home schedule will tip-off with a Nov. 5 exhibition game against San Francisco State.
Information on season tickets or the Big West + 1 Mini-Plan is available online at UCSBgauchos.com
or by calling the Athletics Ticket Office at (805) 893-UCSB.

In 2011-12, the Gauchos will take aim at their unprecedented third straight Big West Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament bid.
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 15

The Kids Are Alright

While UCSB can lean on senior All-American Stacey Schmidt for help when needed –
along with fellow seniors Lily Lopez and Chelsey Lowe – the Gauchos’ success this
season hinges on a very talented group of underclassmen.
We’re certain these kids are all right.
Two freshmen and two sophomores are projected in the 2011 starting lineup to play alongside Schmidt and Lopez. But, as excitable
as Kathy Gregory is in her 37th year at the helm, she is ecstatic about what this youth movement means now and in the future.
One of the reasons for that is newcomer Taylor Pischke, a well-decorated outside hitter from Canada, who was named Manitoba’s
top player last year. “An all-around player who can do everything,” is how Gregory describes her and then compares her to the Holy Trinity
of Gauchos – Judy Bellomo, Roberta Gehlke and Brooke Hanson.
For the first time in four years, UCSB will have a new setter after two-time All-American Dana Vargas graduated. The new quarterback
of the Gauchos’ offense will be Hanna Nielson, who will – hopefully – be the next great setter to wear the blue and gold.
History has been on Gregory’s side when throwing a freshman into the fire, though. It worked with Vargas. It worked with Brooke
Rundle. It worked with Liz Towne.
Those are three of the best setters to ever play here.
“We want her to concentrate on making good choices and we’re going to ask her to have a good rhythm for hitters and put us in a
position to be successful,” Gregory said. “The seniors will guide her and be the leaders.”
16 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

COMPETITION DOESN’T SCARE KARA
SHERRARD AND HER GAUCHOS.
THEY WELCOME IT WITH OPEN ARMS.
DON’T MISS A MATCH.

decade of DOMINANCE
The 2011 men’s soccer season is sure to be one for the ages as the
Gauchos return to the field on a quest to defend their Big West
Tournament title and to earn a berth into their 10th consecutive
NCAA Tournament.
Once again, head coach Tim Vom Steeg and
his staff have not shied away from scheduling
the nation’s elite programs and have ensured
that the Gaucho fans will have plenty of
heart racing action to take in at Meredith
Field at Harder Stadium this fall.
In all, the Gauchos will play
12 regular season home games.
Highlights of the home
slate include a match-up
against defending 2010
College Cup champion, Akron
(Oct. 5), which took home the
national title the last time they
stepped foot on Harder’s pitch.
UCSB will also get a sneak peek at
future Big West associate member,
Sacramento State, when the Hornets stop by on Sept. 25. The Gauchos will host their first
Big West home game on Oct. 11 against Cal State Fullerton and will conclude regular season
action against Blue-Green rival Cal Poly (Nov. 4).
UCSB’s 2011 roster features a bevy of battle-tested returners combined with plenty of
talented and experienced newcomers.
Returning to lead the Gauchos this year are five 2010 All-Big West honorees. The 2010 Big
West Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Sam Garza, and 2010 Big West Freshman of the Year, David
Opoku, will once again spearhead the scoring efforts. The duo led the team offensively with a
combined 41 points (15 goals, 11 assists).
Midfielder Luis Silva, who is a three-time All-Big West pick, returns for his senior year and provides mature leadership in the
middle of the pitch.
Defensively, the Gauchos will benefit from the services of All-Big West picks Machael David and Peter McGlynn, who helped limit
their opposition to just 0.73 goals per game last fall.
This spring, Vom Steeg made eight talented additions to the roster. U.S. U-20 National Team product, Dom Sarle has transferred
from St. John’s and adds dimension to the Gaucho attack. He is joined by fellow transfers Juan Gomez (Los Angeles Mission College),
Mathew Glodack (Southern Connecticut State), Peter Schmetz (Westmont) and André Grandt (Tyler Junior College).
The freshmen class includes Chris Roell (Daniel Boone HS), Marshall Cazares (Birmingham HS) and Charlie Miller (Servite HS).
With this talented group, there should be not be a dull moment at Harder.
Season tickets are still available to ensure that fans don’t miss out on a single minute of this beautiful game. To be a part
of the largest crowd in the nation four-seasons running and the movement to 2KSTRONG, call (805) 893-UCSB or visit the website
UCSBgauchos.com.

18 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

GAUCHOS
on the

AIR

UC

Santa Barbara and its multi-media rights holder Nelligan Sports Marketing, are pleased to
announce that 13 Gaucho men’s soccer games will be broadcast live on AM 1290 KZSB, the Santa
Barbara News-Press Radio Station. In addition, Talk’n Gauchos, the weekly one-hour show devoted to
UCSB Athletics, returns to AM 1290 on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
“It’s great that our men’s soccer fans will once again be able to follow the Gauchos every step of the way during the conference season,”
said UCSB Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mark W. Massari. “A program as strong as ours deserves the highest possible visibility.”
The broadcast schedule will include two key non-conference games as well as all 10 Big West contests and any postseason games. It
will kick-off with UCSB’s Sept. 16 showdown at UCLA. The Gauchos’ Oct. 5 game against defending National Champion Akron will also be
broadcast live.
For the second straight year the Voice of the Gauchos, Gerry Fall, will call the play-by-play with long-time Santa Barbara News-Press
senior sports writer Mark Patton handling the color.
The men’s soccer team will be even more available to fans beginning with UCSB’s Sept. 23 game against the University of San Diego.
Starting with the game against the Toreros, Gaucho games will be streamed live on the internet as part of Big West TV package on
BigWest.org. Also, as part of the capital improvements made at Meredith Field at Harder Stadium for the 2010 Men’s College Cup, a new
video board was installed. The board is now fully operational and enhances the fan experience with instant replay during games, features
during pregame and halftime, and postgame interviews of coaches and players.
Fall also returns for his second year of Talk’n Gauchos. The weekly talk show that features Gaucho student-athletes and coaches, will
air live each Tuesday beginning Sept. 20. For the second year in a row, the show will be broadcast from The Beachside Bar-Café on Goleta
Beach and it is open to the public.
The Gaucho soccer broadcast on Sept. 16 will be the first of more than 100 play-by-play broadcasts and weekly shows that Nelligan
Sports Marketing will provide UCSB Athletics during 2011-12. It will easily
be the most radio coverage ever provided for Gaucho sports.
Beginning in November, Patton and Fall will be joined on AM
1290 by former Los Angeles Lakers and Gaucho star Don Ford for all
the exciting UCSB men’s basketball action. Also beginning in November,
Gaucho women’s basketball will be aired on AM 990 KIST. All UCSB radio
broadcasts are also streamed live on UCSBgauchos.com. The entire
broadcast schedule and links for every event can easily be accessed
by going to the “Listen Live” button on the main page.
In addition to the commercial radio broadcasts,
Gaucho soccer, and many other sports, can be heard
live on the UCSB campus station KCSB 91.9 FM
and on KCSB.org. UCSB remains one
of the very few schools that airs its
soccer matches on both commercial
and student radio stations.

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 19

A Great Example

Living the Dream

T

o become a Division I student-athlete, it takes copious amounts of hard work, drive,
persistence and also the ability to succeed in the face of adversity. Many of UC Santa
Barbara’s athletes have had to overcome significant obstacles on their journeys to becoming a Gaucho, but few have overcome as many as men’s soccer standout Machael David.
David was born in Nigeria in 1988. To say his beginnings
were humble is an understatement. His father earned meager
wages as a bus driver and his mother stayed at home because
her lack of education made finding employment a struggle.
David’s family could not afford to send him to school, so he
spent his days going street to street playing soccer. In Nigeria,
children that did not attend school during the day and hung out
in the streets were often categorized as criminals or gang members. According to David, “nobody trusts a street kid.”
At the age of 12, his father passed away. Without his father’s
income, David and his mother were forced to move into the
guesthouse of a local church. Despite his relocation, David continued to play soccer, walking miles each day to and from practice.
Unlike most American kids though, there was not an orange
slice or juice box waiting for him at the end of each game. He
would often return home after a day of playing to no dinner,
forced to go to bed on an empty stomach. Sometimes, he and a
group of friends that called themselves “The Musicians,” would
take to the streets at night and sing African songs and dance in
exchange for food.
At age 14, the course of David’s life was altered when he
was offered the chance to play on a team in Italy. David jumped
at the opportunity to leave Africa and live abroad, but quickly “a
dream come true” turned into more of the same. Despite some
improved amenities, David felt as if his life in Italy was a very
small improvement upon the one he lived in Africa. He still was
not receiving an education and he felt that his opportunities
were limited.
While in Milan, David often joked with friends about
moving to America to pursue an education. After three years in
Milan, the 17 year-old finally decided to give up playing soccer
and take a risk by moving to America, a country where he did
not know a soul.
Because his own documents had expired, David used a
forged British passport and flew into John F. Kennedy Airport
in New York. His inability to speak English automatically threw
a hitch in his plan and when David was unable to fill out the
customs documents on the plane, he was immediately detained
by customs upon his arrival on American soil.
Coming to the U.S. in the post-9/11 era with a forged
passport and the inability to speak English was, to put it mildly,
a bold move. After being detained and handcuffed in customs,
David was finally able to tell his story to someone who spoke
Italian. He pleaded his case, explaining that he was “coming to
20 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

look for help and the opportunity to become something in life.
I can’t go back to my country, that’s the last thing I want to do.
Please help me!”
After eight hours in the airport, he was taken to a group
home in Queens where other underage immigrants resided.
It was at that group home that David began to receive his first
formal education and started to learn English. It was also there
that he made the life-altering decision to convert to Christianity
after being raised Muslim.
It was just three months later that David found a lawyer
and then a foster family in Tacoma, Washington, which he
considers a “big miracle,” considering the minimum that most
people would be at the group home was six months. Another
miracle happened when, just weeks before he turned 18, David’s
lawyer successfully appealed for him to receive asylum, allowing
him to live freely in the U.S.
It was then, at age 18, that Machael David became a high
school freshman. Not long after enrolling he was recruited to
play soccer on his high school team. He was resistant at first
because he didn’t want soccer to interfere with his education,
but eventually after a year and a half hiatus from the sport, he
took to the field again.
David’s talent was quickly noticed by college coaches from
around the country and while playing in a Premier Development
League match in Fresno with former Gaucho Ciaran O’Brien, he
was noticed by UCSB assistant coach Greg Wilson.
Despite interest by several schools, it was not an easy path
for David to get into college. With just a few years of formal
education under his belt, his GPA and SAT scores were dismal,
causing most coaching staffs to give up on recruiting him. For a
while, David gave up on the prospect of playing college soccer
and even attending college, as he dropped out of high school
and enrolled in a GED program.
His break from high school did not last long though. His
high school counselors persuaded him to re-enroll and assisted
in getting him extra classes and help so that he could graduate. David would wake up at 5 or 6 a.m. every morning to go to
school and stay until 5 p.m. as he took extra classes in order to
graduate. After two and a half years of high school, David graduated with a 3.8 GPA.
For their part, Gaucho coaches Tim Vom Steeg and Greg
Wilson battled to get David into school at UCSB and in the fall
of 2008, he enrolled as a freshman. Unfortunately, his struggles
were not over.

Due to his abbreviated high school education,
David had not completed enough core classes by NCAA
standards, so he was forced to sit out his first season
at UCSB. The setback caused him to become frustrated
and depressed; feeling as if everything he had gone
through was for nothing.
After sitting out a redshirt year and becoming a
familiar face in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building’s
Study Center, David was finally cleared to play for the
2009 season.
He made an immediate impact, starting 23 of
24 matches for the Gauchos. He scored one goal and
dished out four assists and was named the Big West
Freshman of the Year, Second Team All-Big West, Soccer
America All-Freshman Second Team, Goal.com Freshman Team and TopDrawerSoccer.com All-Rookie First
Team. In 2010, David played in and started 21 of the
team’s 22 games and earned First Team All-Big West
honors as a midfielder while collecting a pair of assists.
Even more impressively, in each of the last two
years, David was the only UCSB men’s soccer player
named to the Big West All-Academic team and was
selected as his team’s Golden Eagle Award Winner for
his academic success.
Reflecting on all of his current success, David does
not take any of it for granted and is very aware that he
couldn’t have achieved this all on his own.
“When I think that today I am a senior in college,
it makes me really appreciate my high school counselors and those who were behind me who thought
I could make it,” David said. “If I didn’t have them, I
wouldn’t be here. Here I am today in Santa Barbara
after all of these obstacles.”
He is also reminded of what his life could have
been, knowing that many of his friends back in Nigeria
are now drug dealers, criminals or have already died.
“I try not to take things for granted,” David said.
“I am living the American dream. My friends envy me,
that I came here not knowing anyone and took a risk.
I am just grateful to be here and grateful to have this
opportunity, to be in America. America is the place everyone in my country wants to be, the place everyone
wants to live.”
After spending most of his life just trying to get by,
he still feels as if he is working to survive. He says he
doesn’t worry about making plans for the future.
“Growing up as a child there was no plan for me.
I just live my life and try to accomplish everything
everyday that comes to me instead of sitting and making a plan,” David said. “Most people will see that as
a negative thing, but for me it is what has brought me
so far in life. Expectation is something I never put my
hopes on, because if I expect something and it doesn’t
happen, it breaks my heart. I’d rather live my life every
day and do my best every day.”
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 21

EYES on the PRIZE

The 2011 UCSB women’s soccer team will depend on a
balance of key returnees and several top-flight newcomers in
its quest to get back to the top of the Big West Conference.
Cory Yoshida, Erin Ortega and Alissa Sanchez return to lead an offense that hopes to improve on
a 2010 performance that saw it score just 23 goals in 19 matches. Ortega, who will move from the
midfield to the forward line, and Sanchez are, in fact, the only two returning players who scored
goals last season tallying three and two respectively. Junior forward Dyanne Anderson, a
transfer from Santiago Canyon College, and freshman Indiana Mead will also play
key roles.
The heart of the Gauchos should
once again be their defense. In 2010,
UCSB allowed just 21 goals and gave up more than one just six times.
Defensive starters Alyssa Benjamin, Kathleen Matthew and Alexa Stringer all
return to the fold and will once again spearhead the operations on the backline.
Benjamin may also get some playing time up top if the team’s offense struggles.
Senior Nicole Romanowski, who was injured and sat out the 2010
season, was a Second Team All-Big West honoree as a defender in 2009
and could again be called on to play a defensive role for the Gauchos.
A pair of freshmen – Miranda Cornejo and Catherine
McFarland – could also contribute.
UCSB’s last line of defense should be sophomore
goalkeeper Makenna Henry. As a freshman, Henry
started 17 of the Gauchos’ 19 matches. She
recorded a goals against average of 0.93 and
had 58 saves. She could be backed-up by
freshman Haley Guerrero.
The Gauchos will play a tough home
schedule in 2011. Their Meredith Field at
Harder Stadium match-ups
include Big West Tournament
champion Long Beach
State, Blue-Green rival Cal
Poly, 2010 NCAA Sweet 16 team
Minnesota, and traditional powers Fresno
State, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Pepperdine
and Nevada.

For more ticket information log on
to UCSBgauchos.com or call the
Athletics Ticket Office at
(805) 893-UCSB.
22 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ 23

CHECKMATE

Gauchos Get
Their Man

U

CSB hired Andrew Checketts on June 22 to
become the ninth head coach in program
history. An assistant between UC Riverside and
Oregon over the past decade, Andrew built a
name for himself with his hard work, ability to
recruit the nation’s best players and develop some
of the country’s best pitching staffs.

Andrew Checketts has known success.
Following his senior year at West Linn
High School in Oregon, he was named
the state’s Player of the Year. After his
senior season at Oregon State, Checketts
collected All-American and Pac-10 North
Player of the Year honors after recording
an 11-1 record.
Make no mistake about it, success is
part of Checketts’ DNA and he’s carried
that success into his coaching career.
Checketts joined the UCSB staff after
a successful run at Oregon. He got to
Eugene in 2008 and wasted little time in
helping put that upstart program on the
map. The Ducks’ 2008 recruiting class,
brought in for the program’s first intercollegiate season in 2009, was ranked No.
2 in the nation. In fact, two of his three
recruiting classes were ranked in the
top three nationally and the other was
top-25.
Checketts began coaching at Riverside
City College in 2001, where he served as
pitching coach and helped the team to a
school record ERA and second consecutive California State Championship.
In 2002, Checketts moved across town
from RCC to UC Riverside. Upon his arrival
at UCR he, made an immediate impact
as the staff ERA improved by almost
three runs and the team broke the school
record for strikeouts in his first year.
Checketts also played a key role in recruiting for the Highlanders and their 2007
class was ranked in the top-25 nationally.
On the field, the program also won its first
outright Big West championship in 2007.
24 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

He inherits a program that has produced the third-most Major League players in the Big West and his plans are to push that
number higher and push the Gauchos back into the postseason.
“Development is going to be a priority for our program –
developing players, developing people,” said the Oregon State
graduate who was an All-American pitcher as a senior. “That’s
going to be our coaching staff’s history and strength. Obviously
the cherry on top of the sundae is that they get to live in Santa
Barbara and get to be a part of the community and the amazing campus. We’re going to focus
very hard on the academics and the development of a person/baseball player.”
Checketts, 35, took some time to talk about his vision for UCSB baseball and whose knowledge he’d like to tap into in his first head coaching job.
What’s your time frame to get the baseball team back into the postseason?
Tomorrow.
What do your goals for the program look like?
I think it’s realistic to think we’ll be a top-25 program in three years and the top-25 programs
always have a chance to go to Omaha.
How do you sell recruits to come to UCSB to play baseball?
The kids that we’re looking for are the ones who value the educational opportunity that we
have here. Having them recognize how special this place is academically and valuing it. That’s
priority No. 1. And, priority No. 2 is we’re looking for kids we want to develop and have the
goal of becoming Major League Baseball players. We’re going to ask them to do a lot and we’re
going to require that they do a lot and they are going to have to have that goal in mind to go
through all the challenges that it takes to be a successful team.
What attracted you to UCSB?
I love the Big West Conference – it’s one of the best baseball conferences in the country. I
always felt like this was a sleeping giant. I think other coaches feel the same way: that this is a
program that can win and will win. That was exciting to me. Obviously the location is a great
place to recruit to, along with the academic standards and the academic excellence.
Traditionally the Big West Conference is one of the best in the nation. Where do you see the
conference in three to four years and can it be a four-bid conference again?
Yeah, there’s no question that it can be a four-bid conference. Hawai’i is going to really add to
the strength of the conference. I know, traditionally, they haven’t had a great RPI, but I think
that was a product of who they played in conference and not a product of who they played out
of the conference. They play such a tough schedule early in the year by bringing in high-quality
teams that they will have a high RPI and will add to the conference. And with what UC Irvine,
Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State have been able to do, historically, I don’t think its out
of the question for Santa Barbara to be in that mix and to be able to be one of those teams
consistently getting that bid and turning it into a four-bid conference.

“Development is going to be a priority for our program –
developing players, developing people,”
What have you learned as an assistant coach to be successful as a head coach?
Recruit good players (laughs).
As a first time head coach, what are some of the things you fear?
I think I’ve always been behind-the-scenes, doing the recruiting. Recruiting isn’t truly behind-the-scenes, you do get to be the face of the
program, but that part of it is going to be a new experience for me. Handling the media and doing the fundraising. There will be a few
new hats that I haven’t had to wear before. I think the only thing that I really fear is the time commitment that it is going to take away
from developing pitchers and recruiting; The two things that I think are my strengths. I think it will be a manner of balancing that, how to
make that work, and still being able to invest in those players.
If you could have dinner with any coaches, dead or alive, who would they be and what would you like to learn from them?
John Wooden is somebody who I’d love to sit down and pick his brain. I’ve always been interested in his ability to not talk about winning,
but still win a lot. He always said he loved all his players the same, but treated them different. I always thought that was interesting, to
have some flexibility with their individual needs and their individual backgrounds and to care about them all the same. And even his ingame presence on the bench. People used to say ‘Oh, Wooden’s upset, he just raised an eyebrow.’ He was always reserved but his team
always played prepared and aggressive. I’d want to talk to him about that philosophy and why it worked so well. I just worked with the
best baseball coach in the country, George Horton, so I got to pick his brain a lot. I’d really like to meet Joe Torre. I’d love to learn from
him how he managed all those egos and all of the high-priced talent and got them to play as a team and got them to believe in the name
on the front versus the name on the back. The Yankees don’t even have names on the back of their jerseys, they just have numbers. I’ve
heard before, and I’ve used it before, that if you’re good enough people don’t need to know the name on the back, they’ll know you by
your number. I’d like to learn about that and how to manage that because as college coaches we deal with that a lot. The kids have always
been the hero and have always been the most successful player on their team and it’s been about them a whole lot. Then they come into
college and sometimes there’s a transition there and it’s difficult for them – they’re not the most important thing, the
team is. I’d love to learn more from him, how he managed that and got those guys to win all those championships.
What are your strengths as a coach?
I think communication; communicating with players, communicating standards, communicating
goals and then following up with that. The detail
part of coaching is something that’s a strength of
mine – organizing and planning and putting a lot
of fine details into our practice and our practice
plan and the preparation for our players and our
pitchers. The minute details of when they sleep,
when they throw, when they lift, when they run,
how much they do. I think all of those things lead
to having a team that’s prepared. When you feel
prepared, you have more confidence and you’re
able to – I use the term, “go for it” more.
What style will we see from your team on the field?
Aggressive. Playing hard. Playing aggressive. Playing smart and playing intelligent, taking the extra
base if the opportunity is there and if the timing’s
right in the game. I would hope that when people
watch us play that we’re prepared. That we’re disciplined, that we’re detailed. And, that we’re aggressive. That’s the goal so that when people come
to play the Gauchos they know they are in for it.
At the end of the weekend, whether we won the
series or not, they feel like they just went through
a war and they had to earn everything they got.

C Santa Barbara pitcher Nick Capito
straddled the mound. He looked
down to his
catcher Marty
Mullins. It was
April 24, 2010.
Capito was preparing to throw
his first pitch of
the fourth inning.
Through his first
three innings, the Gaucho lefty had
allowed just one hit to Long Beach
State and his team was on top, 3-0.
Capito went into the windup and delivered a
change-up on the outside corner to the 49ers’ Devin
Lohman. Lohman swung and made contact. He hit a
hard line drive up the middle. The next thing Capito
knew, he was sprawled out on the mound.
Lohman’s line drive deflected off the bill of Capito’s
hat and then struck him right between the eyes.
“I saw it coming,” Capito remembered.
“I thought I got a little bit of my glove on it, I wasn’t
sure, and then it hit my hat, then me, and I went down. I
didn’t go unconscious or anything, I was just laying there
kind of in shock, thinking ‘Geez, what just happened? I
should have caught that.’”
The next thing Capito remembers is athletic trainer
Mike Martinez and then head coach Bob Brontsema running out to the mound and kneeling next to him.
“I was alright,” Capito said. “I was fine. I honestly
could have gotten back on the mound and pitched, but
no one was going to let that happen after a head injury
like that.”
Capito was taken to a Long Beach hospital where
cat scans showed that the only damage he suffered was
cosmetic.
“The next day, my eyes swelled up like a balloon,”
he said. “But nothing was broken.”
A few months before getting hit in the face with the
line drive, during Christmas break, Capito had to face far
greater adversity as his maternal grandmother and one
of his best friends each passed away.

26 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

The next thing Capito knew, he was
sprawled out on the mound.
“Losing my grandmother was very hard,” said Capito. “We were very close.”
The death of his friend came in particularly tragic circumstances.
James Wernke was walking his dog in a rainstorm. They walked near an overflowing creek and Wernke’s dog fell in. Wernke went in after
the dog, slipped, hit his head and lost consciousness. The authorities said he drowned.
Capito and Wernke had been teammates at Santa Ana College.
“I became really close with him,” Capito said. “He redshirted our sophomore year and then signed a Letter of Intent to go to Long Beach
State, so he would’ve been there this year. It would’ve been fun playing against him.”
Indirectly, Capito believes that his friend was there the day that he was felled by the line drive in Long Beach.
“I had James’ initials written on the side of my hat and the ball hit the hat, probably taking some of the impact, before it hit me in my
forehead,” recounted Capito. “I really believe he was looking out for me. It was at Long Beach State, too, the school where he was supposed
to be going. It was just kind of a surreal thing.”
While the ball hitting the cap most certainly minimized the physical damage suffered by Capito, there was still the challenge of actually
climbing back onto the mound and pitching again.
“The next couple of days (after the incident) I was just icing it and trying to recover,” he said. “(Pitching coach Tom) Myers asked me if I’d
be able to go next weekend and I said ‘yeah, of course.’ I was feeling fine and just wanted to get back on the bump.”
When Capito did return, something had definitely changed.
“I felt fine physically, but it was just kind of a mental thing,” he said. “I really wasn’t the same after that. I was still a little shell-shocked
the rest of the season. I don’t think I really bounced back too well.”
After jumping out to a fast start in 2010, Capito was up-and-down after the line drive incident. It took him a while, but he finally started
to return to normal during the summer when he played for the Wisconsin Woodchucks in the Northwoods League.
“It was kind of a hard thing to get over,” Capito said. “It took me about a month. I went to play summer ball in June and started to feel
better. They use wood bats out there and that didn’t scare me as much as metal bats, or whatever they are now. That kind of put some ease
in the back of my mind about the balls coming off the bat.”
While Capito started progressing from the moment he got to Wisconsin, there was still one thing he had to overcome: another ball hit
back up the middle.
“Last summer, I remember having my first comebacker and it was just a soft ground ball,” he recalled. “I jumped back and flinched
pretty bad, but I got the ball and ran it over to first, and I was like ‘okay, well that was my first one and there will probably be more, so you
better be ready.’”
Capito enjoyed, and truly benefitted from, his summer season in Wisconsin. He pitched well, helped the Woodchucks get within
one game of playing for the league championship, learned a new pitch (a two-seam sinker) and really re-focused himself for the 2011
UCSB season.
“I came back during the fall with a vengeance,” said Capito, who also bounced back from surgery to his left elbow while pitching at La
Quinta High School. “I just wanted to win, I wanted us to have a good season and I was willing to do whatever role I was given.”
While Capito was primarily a starter as a junior in 2010, he was used in both a starting and relief role in 2011. The Whittier, Calif., native
made 22 appearances in 2011, 17 out of the bullpen.
“I’ve become accustomed to ‘whatever happens, happens,’” said the art history major. “I’m ready for anything. I’ve never really pitched
exclusively out of the bullpen before, and the beginning of the season, I thought, was a great test to show that I can fill whatever role I need
to fill.”
Capito finished the season with a 4-4 record, a solid 3.90 ERA and one save.
“I feel I helped the team out of the bullpen and as a starter,” Capito said. “It’s was pretty topsy-turvy, but whatever the situation, I basically just tried to get guys out. It’s all the same. Pitching is pitching. People want to talk about pressure situations, but I just come in and try to
get guys out and do my job.”
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 27

everyday, in the classroom, in the
community and on the fields of
competition. Every young woman and
man who dons the Gaucho blue and
gold is on a mission to win in every
phase of their lives.
That means succeeding in the
classroom at one of the nation’s
premier research institutions. That

means winning in the community and
being a beacon of what is good about playing
sports, and showing little boys or girls that you can grow up
and become whatever you dream: a volleyball player, a doctor
or teacher. It can happen. But while they win championships,
what is truly special about these Gauchos and the coaches who dedicate their lives to
lead them, is they are winning in the game of life as well!
And it all starts because of you. By financially supporting these incredible young
men and women—these Gauchos—you become the spark that lights this amazing
opportunity at this incredible university.
Our annual giving program, the Gaucho Fund, is the lifeblood to provide these
opportunities. As a donor you are opening the door to their winning drive on this
campus of achievement.
Thank you for supporting the Gauchos!

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 29

F

or many of you, Andy Fee is a familiar face. In his last role overseeing the events and
operations of Gaucho Athletics, Fee was often visible at each of our venues as he made
sure that everything ran as smoothly as possible from the gates being opened until the
lights were turned off.
Now Gaucho Fund donors will see even more of the personable Fee as he embarks on
his new role as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development. He will work closely
with Gaucho Fund Director of Marketing & Stewardship Christina Baglas and Executive
Associate Athletics Director Tom Hastings as the trio take the
Gaucho Fund, and the benefits provided, to new heights.
Fee is no stranger to college athletics. He joined the Gaucho
family in 2010 after spending eight years with the University of
San Diego Athletics Department. The customer service-oriented
Fee is a graduate of Arizona State University where he also worked
full-time for four years.
Should you have questions about the Gaucho Fund, your
benefits, the numerous events held throughout
the year, or if you just want to call and chat,
feel free to contact Andy, Tom or Christina
at the numbers provided below.
As always, thanks for supporting the
450 student-athletes who represent
this great university. Your support
provides the difference as we
compete for championships in
and out of the classroom.
ANDY FEE
andy.fee@athletics.ucsb.edu or (805) 893-4960
CHRISTINA BAGLAS
christina.baglas@athletics.ucsb.edu or (805) 893-5372
TOM HASTINGS
tom.hastings@athletics.ucsb.edu or (805) 893-6019

Andy Fee and Christina Baglas
30 â&#x20AC;˘ DARE Spring/Summer 2011

LIVING SCHOLARS

A Priceless Connection

T

hat’s what being a Living Scholar provides, a priceless
connection from the generosity of a Gaucho Fund
donor to a deserving young man or woman who puts it
all on the line, everyday, while being a Gaucho. Our
student-athletes are asked to Dare To Be Great in the
community, classroom and on the court.
Take women’s soccer’s Cory Yoshida. A fouryear starter and team captain, Cory was the
female Golden Eagle ring winner (signifying the
highest GPA among student-athletes) with a
3.68 GPA in Environmental Studies. When she’s
not dominating the pitch or her books, Cory can be
found volunteering her time with local youth soccer groups.
She is supported in her efforts by her Living Scholars.
Great, indeed.

The Gaucho Fund, which provides
support annually for 450 UCSB
student-athletes and all 20
programs, is highlighted by the
unique Living Scholar Level of
giving which pairs a studentathlete with a donor.

, $1,122,445
During the 2010-11 year
e Gaucho
was donated to provid
program
student-athletes and
ral gifts to
support, including seve
Meredith
assist improvements to
um for the
Field at Harder Stadi
ing of the
campus’ successful host
December.
st
la
up
C
ge
le
ol
C
A
A
C
N

o says John Keever (’67), chair of the Gaucho Order. And few
know more about connection and commitment to UCSB
than Keever. A football and rugby standout during his days on
campus, Keever went on to a distinguished career as a college
athletics director and coach. His bond to UCSB remained strong
but was further forged when he, along with several former
teammates and classmates, reunited and pledged their loyalty to
this terrific university.
Letterwinners at UCSB are part of a great legacy of men and women who have
been awarded the block C with UCSB inscription and that have represented the
university in the community, classroom, and in competition. This legacy is passed on
through The Gaucho Order and Keever became the perfect choice to be the first chair
of The Gaucho Order .
“The key is not only to connect with our contemporaries as we join forces
in fostering a bond with the university,” John said, “but to be committed to the
Order’s mission of excellence as we support its causes and projects while bridging
the gap between all generations of Gauchos. The Gaucho Order is the perfect
way to stay connected and committed to Gaucho Athletics and our alma
mater, which played such a huge role in all our lives.”
A committee of athletics alumni represents The Gaucho Order
with the primary mission to assist UCSB Athletics with strategic
initiatives such as communications, Hall of Fame selections,
Legends Of The ‘Dome, awarding honorary memberships,
regional development, and capital campaigns.
For more on the Gaucho Order contact Tom Hastings at
tom.hastings@athletics.ucsb.edu

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 33

STICKING AROUND
Men’s volleyball coach Rick McLaughlin, who guided the Gauchos to the
MPSF Tournament championship and the NCAA Championship game in May,
has signed a four-year contract extension. McLaughlin will embark on his
fourth year in charge of the program in 2011-12.

NET NOTES
Director of Tennis Marty Davis, who
has coached the UCSB men’s tennis
team to six Big West titles and NCAA
Tournament appearances, was awarded
a three-year contract extension. Davis
will be entering his 13th season
at the helm of the Gaucho
program. The success of the
program would also seem
assured because his incoming
recruiting class was ranked
24th in the nation.

ADDITIONS
There are several new additions to UCSB coaching staffs for the 2011-12 year. Ryan Madry has been added
to the men’s basketball coaching staff after a stint at Cal State Fullerton…Gregg Wilson has added Ann
Wright as the Gauchos diving coach. Wright is a veteran diving coach with a diverse background at the
high school and community college levels…Leon Blazer is the new Director of Operations for the women’s
volleyball team…Former Gaucho star Aaron Mansfield is now Rick McLaughlin’s assistant coach on the
men’s volleyball staff…Pete Dolan has added Ryan Rupcich as an assistant coach with the track and cross
country teams and Cody Fleming as a track and field assistant…Erica Seidman, who played four seasons
at UCSB, is a member of Paul Stumpf’s women’s soccer coaching staff…Greg Curry, a member of the 2006
Gaucho National Champion soccer team, is now an assistant coach on the team’s staff…Eddie Cornejo, a
former assistant coach at UC Riverside and Associate Head Coach and interim Head Coach at Riverside City
College, joins UCSB’s baseball staff after having a successful minor league career that saw him reach Class
AAA...Jason Hawkins is a new member of the baseball staff, coming over after serving as the head coach
at Occidental College the previous three seasons...Former UCLA standout Natalie Jarrett has joined the
women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach.
34 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

ETC HED IN

HISTORY

In April of 2012, the UC Santa
Barbara Intercollegiate Athletics
Hall of Fame will get a little
more crowded.

T

he UCSB Hall of Fame will add the women’s
tennis doubles team of AMELIA WHITE and

KELLY SPENCER, men’s volleyball star MIKE GORMAN,

standout wide receiver AMAHL THOMAS,
former women’s basketball coach MARK FRENCH
and former baseball coach AL FERRER.
“This is a great class of former Gauchos,” said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mark W. Massari. “They had great success on the fields and
the courts during their time at UCSB and the honor is well-deserved.”
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner will be held as part
of All Gaucho Reunion on April 28. All Gaucho Reunion takes place annually
Hall of Fame inductee Mark French
every spring and welcomes back Gauchos from all decades. For the past
several years, UCSB Athletics has been an integral part of the AGR weekend, not only hosting the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but several receptions, a jam-packed weekend of soccer and last year, it joined forces with the Alumni Association and Arts & Lectures to welcome
back Jim Rome.
In addition to honoring the new members of the Hall of Fame, the first Distinguished
Hall of Fame inductee Al Ferrer
Gaucho Award, which honors a former Gaucho athlete who has achieved great success in
his/her post-UCSB career, will go to WAYNE BRYAN, a former tennis player who has remained involved with the program. Bryan is the father of Mike and Bob Bryan, the top men’s
doubles team in the world, and is a renowned coach, lawyer, musician and author. Bryan will
be honored on Feb. 18 and then again at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Finally, two honorary members will be added to The Gaucho Order, the department’s
letterwinners organization. Assistant Athletics Director for Student Services LARRY JAMES
and Assistant Athletics Trainer BOB ANNABLE will be added. Both are longtime, dedicated
members of the Athletics Department.
The Gaucho Order Letterwinners organization is the alumni athlete wing of Gaucho
Athletics. Connecting generations of Gauchos who have worn the blue & gold while competing for this terrific university, The Gaucho Order connects alumni, serves current coaches
and student-athletes with fundraising and legacy projects and consults with the Director of
Athletics on vital issues surrounding the heritage of Gaucho Athletics. For more on the Gaucho Order logon to UCSBgauchos.com or contact Tom Hastings, Executive Associate Athletics
Director, at tom.hastings@athletics.ucsb.edu.
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 35

A Great Example

BACK in the BLOCKS

Snita had a lot of opportunities to give up
but she had passion and persevered.

U

C Santa Barbara sprinter Snita Ashford crouched into the blocks for the 100 Meter
final at the Big West Championships with something to prove. The senior was about
to take part in her final race as a Gaucho and emotions were high.
“When I was warming up I felt nervous,” Ashford said.
“I decided that I was going to dedicate the race to everybody who quit the team, everybody who didn’t believe in
me and everybody who thought I would quit the team and
gave up on me as a person.”
Ashford matched her personal best time of 12.10 and took
fourth in the race to end her collegiate career on a high note.
After a standout track & field career at Buena Park High
School, Ashford came to UC Santa Barbara with high expectations. The former Orange County 100 meter champion
aspired to be one of the top sprinters in the Big West and
qualify for nationals, but injuries derailed her plans before
she set foot on campus.
“[During] my senior year of high school I fractured my
foot, so I took time off, came back and had a really strong
season,” Ashford said. “I trained really hard that summer to
prepare for UCSB, and I injured my foot again.”
Ashford spent the bulk of her first two years at UCSB in
a boot protecting her injured foot, which limited her training
to upper body lifting, stationary bike and pool workouts.
During that time, her commitment and mental toughness
were tested.
“Anytime a sprinter has a history of soft tissue injuries,
it’s something they have to overcome in the mind,” said
UCSB sprinter coach Josh Priester. “She handled the adversity well and overcame it.”
Despite the recurring injury, Ashford attended track &
field events to support her teammates and remained an
active member of the team, but her health would not allow
her to properly train towards her goals.

36 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

“It’s really hard to mentally stay focused and be a part
of the team because you can’t do what your teammates are
doing,” Ashford said. “You see your teammates progressing
and doing well and you wish you were there.”
Ashford began to return to form her junior season and was
finally able to compete on a consistent basis. With a full season
under her belt and an intense summer training regimen behind
her, Ashford entered her senior year primed to excel.
“Snita had a lot of opportunities to give up but she had
a passion for it and persevered,” Priester said.
Fall workouts proved to Ashford that she was back to
100-percent, setting the stage for the breakout season she
had hoped for.
“At the indoor meet this season in Washington, she
came out and ran some great times,” Priester said. “She was
a completely different athlete right away this season.”
Ashford recalls many special moments throughout her
senior season, but the Cal-Nevada Championships held special significance because of her negative experiences there
in past years.
“In prior years, I was always injured or coming off injuries so that was never my best meet,” Ashford said. “I would
always just go for prelims and never make it to the finals.”
This past season, Ashford bucked the trend, advancing past the prelims and qualifying for the 100 meter finals,
which is a testament to her persistence and willingness to
do whatever it takes to improve.
Ashford will be attending graduate school at Cal State
L.A. this year and plans to pursue a career as a high school
counselor.

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ 37

Men’s Water Polo

THE NEXT CHAPTER

After graduating six seniors, including All-Americans Milos Golic and Zsombor Vincze, the
UC Santa Barbara men’s water polo team will look to new leadership in the pool during the 2011
campaign.
The Gaucho roster has a bevy of talented returners and newcomers, which makes for a
promising season and a bright future for the program.
Junior Brian Shoemaker headlines the list of Gaucho returners. The utility player is capable
of playing at nearly every position and is the top returning goal scorer after posting 22 goals in
2010.
His classmate Myles Christian has also been a solid contributor over the last two seasons. Christian, who made 18 appearances in the
goal for the Gauchos in 2010, will compete with sophomore Jay Lovero for time in the cage.
The Gauchos also show plenty of promise in their sophomore class. Serbian sensation Lazar Komadinic and Australian Matt Gronow
bring international flair and scoring prowess to the table. The pair contributed 15 goals and 18 goals, respectively, during their rookie
seasons. Two-meter man, Teddy Zhang, will also rejoin the active roster after redshirting the 2010 campaign due to an injury.
Key newcomers include Derek Shoemaker – brother of Brian – and Chase Racich, who hail from local power Dos Pueblos HS. USC
transfer Jesse Gillespie will also look to be a key addition.
UCSB, which plays in the ultra-competitive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, will once again
battle the nation’s best throughout the season. Highlights of the 2011 slate include the Northern
California Classic (Sept. 17-18) being hosted by Pacific and the Southern California Tournament (Oct.
1-2), which is hosted by Long Beach State. Both tournaments annually feature a field that consists of
the majority of the nations’ top-20 ranked programs.
Currently, the Gauchos are slated to play six games at historic Campus Pool. UCSB will open its
home schedule with a doubleheader against Concordia and Pomona-Pitzer (Sept. 24) before hosting
defending NCAA Champion USC (Oct. 23), Cal (Nov. 5), Pacific (Nov. 6) and UC Irvine (Nov. 12).

CROSS COUNTRY
Throughout the years, the UCSB cross country programs have proven to be
two of the best in the Big West Conference and 2011 shouldn’t be any different.
The Gaucho women’s team has won the last two—and four of the last five—
Big West titles. Last year, they had the top three finishers at the conference
championship meet and finished the campaign ranked 32nd in the nation.
The top three finishers, however, all exhausted their cross country eligibility so the 2011 squad will be looking to a handful of returnees and some
newcomers to uphold the Santa Barbara tradition.
Seniors Andrea Jacobs, Cassie Brooker, Ashley Beechan and Ariana
Selix, junior Sara Vitug and redshirt freshmen Dani Moreno and Christine
Cooperstein should lead the way.
“The team has been training well this summer,” said head coach Pete
Dolan. “We do have some depth, so it should be interesting.”
On the men’s side UCSB finished third in the Big West in 2010 and they
didn’t have a senior.
Junior Juan Parades finished eighth at the league championship meet
last year and is the top returnee. Paredes is joined by seniors Andrew Pilavjian and Anthony Masci, and junior Bhavik Kanzaria, giving the Gauchos a
solid foundation for success.
“Third-place was a nice finish for the team last year,” Dolan said. “But we
have the ability to move up if we can take advantage of our experience.
On paper we might not get the respect of our Big West rivals right now, but I
think this team will be ready when the gun goes off.”
38 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

J

DIVING IN
ust one year after reinstating diving – following an 11-year hiatus – UCSB head swimming coach Gregg
Wilson has hired Ann Wright to continue the resurrection of the program.

“Ann Wright is a proven and dedicated professional in the sport of spring board and we are extremely fortunate to have her join our
staff,” Wilson said. “Her strong presence in the Southern California diving community and her proven record as a coach will significantly
add to our UCSB aquatics programs. Ann is a great person to resurrect our diving program and our incoming class of freshmen divers will
benefit immediately.”
Wright has an extensive background as a diving coach. Most recently, she served as the Birmingham High School and Oxnard District
dive coach, in addition to assisting at Mission Viejo Dive Camps.
During her coaching tenure, she has been named Michigan’s High School Diving Coach of the Year multiple times, has coached three
high school State Champions, 12 All-State divers, 67 All-Americans, 35 Junior National qualifiers, five Senior National Qualifiers, seven
Junior National Champions and has had three divers named to the Junior National Team.
By strengthening the diving program, Wilson hopes to take his already very competitive swim program to the next level. In the past,
the difference for UCSB between conference titles and second place has often been the diving points. Or lack thereof.

MAKING A SPLASH
The Gaucho swim teams return to action this October after a successful 2010-12 season that saw both the men and women switch to
new conference affiliations.
In their first season in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the very youthful UCSB women’s team finished second at the conference championships, captured six MPSF titles and broke four school records.
Standout performers Andrea Ward, Allie Knight, Sophia Yamauchi and Paige Bradley will all return for their second seasons with the Gauchos.
After kicking off the year with their annual Intrasquad and Alumni meet on Oct. 1, the Gauchos will
open the season with a trio of home meets against UCLA and Oregon State (Oct. 22), Denver (Oct. 28)
and UC San Diego (Nov. 4).
The men’s squad will begin its season with the dual against
Denver. After not having a senior on the roster last year, the
Gaucho men’s team will boast a core of very talented veterans in 2011-12.
Chris Peterson, who represented UCSB at the 2011 NCAA
Championships, and fellow seniors Kevin Ferguson, Tim
Freeman, Ryan Garcia, Kevin Kuhn, Evan Simoni
and Garrett Thompson will be working towards ending their collegiate careers on a
high note.
UCSB, which joined the Pac-10
(now Pac-12) Conference last
year, will encounter yet
another league newcomer, Utah, at the
championships
in February.

Chris Peterson and Andrea Ward
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 39

A RUN TO REMEMBER
40 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

In the words of ESPN commentator and volleyball legend Karch Kiraly, UCSB’s run to the 2011 NCAA men’s volleyball championship
match was one of the greatest in the history of college sports. Kiraly wasn’t far off.
The Gauchos entered the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament as the No. 7 seed. Their quest began with a four-set victory
at No. 2 BYU, which had not lost a home match all season.
The win over the Cougars propelled UCSB into a semifinal contest against Long Beach State. The 49ers won both regular season
matches between the teams, but the postseason was a different story as the Gauchos pounded out a 3-1 win, securing their first
appearance in the MPSF title match in 15 years.
UCSB’s next challenge? Playing top-ranked USC on its home court where, like BYU, it was unbeaten in 2011.
Led by tournament Most Valuable Player Jeff Menzel, the Gauchos defeated the Trojans in five games, earning their first MPSF
Championship and a spot in the Final Four for the first time in 23 years. UCSB’s reward for sweeping through the league tournament?
A rematch with No. 1 USC in the NCAA Tournament at Penn State.
In the rematch, the Gauchos needed just four games to dispatch the Trojans and advance to their first National Championship match
since 1988.
While UCSB dropped a thrilling five-game decision to Ohio State in the national championship match, the run to get there was, truly,
one of the greatest ever.
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 41

SPRING
BASEBALL
SOFTBALL
UCSB softball posted its eighth winning season in the last
nine years this past spring. The 2011 Gauchos set school
records for doubles (71) and double plays (32), ranking
second nationally in the latter category. UCSB relied
heavily on the strength of junior pitcher Krista Cobb,
especially during Big West Conference play. The West
Hills, Calif. native got hot during league play, posting a 9-6
record and 2.32 ERA in her 19 Big West appearances (120.2
innings pitched). She garnered Big West Pitcher of the
Week honors twice and was picked to the All-Big West
Second Team. Most notably, the hurler tossed her second
career no-hitter against UC Riverside on April 16.

Senior right fielder Mark Haddow was one of
three Gauchos selected First Team All-Big West
following the 2011 baseball season. Haddow,
who was joined on the first team by second
baseman Sean Williams and relief pitcher Bryce
Uhrig, batted .356 on the season and was among
the league’s top-10 in 10 offensive categories. In
June, Haddow was drafted in the 24th round of
the Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago
White Sox. UCSB pitcher Jesse Meaux was taken
in the 19th round by the Colorado Rockies.

GOLF
Sophomore Glen Scher became the first
UCSB golfer in more than four years to win a
tournament when he posted a one-shot victory
at the 2011 Barona Collegiate Cup in Lakeside,
Calif. Scher shot a 7-under par 209 to record the
win. Not only was it the first tournament win
of any form by a Gaucho golfer, it was the first
spring tournament win in nearly a decade. Scher
was a Second Team All-Big West choice in 2011
and he was invited to play as an individual at the
NCAA Regional in San Diego.
42 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

WOMEN’S TENNIS
Junior Natalia Lozano earned Second Team All-Big West
after an outstanding season playing at the No. 1 singles
spot for UCSB. It was Lozano’s second all-league honor.
As a team, the Gauchos finished the year ranked 62nd in
the nation and by virtue of that fact, they were invited
to play in the 2012 Intercollegiate Tennis Association
Division I Kick-Off Weekend Tournament. UCSB will play
at the University of Miami in the tourney that will be
held from Jan. 27-30.

REVIEW
WOMEN’S
WATER POLO
Senior Kathryn Nelson capped
her four-year career with the
Gauchos with All-Big West
Second Team honors. The
Lompoc, Calif. native led UCSB
with 54 goals to go along with
16 assists and a team-leading
37 steals. Nelson and the 2011
Gauchos posted a 16-13 overall
record and tied for second in
the Big West’s regular season
standings with a 3-2 league mark.
UCSB also hosted the Big West
Tournament for the first time at
its historic Campus Pool.

MEN’S
TRACK AND FIELD
Junior Ryan Martin earned All-American honors
in the 800 meters for the second straight
year after he finished eighth in the NCAA
Championship meet. Martin qualified for the
final with a time of 1:46.29, the fourth fastest
qualifying time. At the Big West Championship
in May, he set a new UCSB record in the 800
when he clocked a 1:45.34. In that race, Martin
came from behind and edged UC Irvine’s Charles
Jock with a lunge at the end. Jock had the
fastest 800 time in the nation in 2011.

MEN’S TENNIS
Senior Alex Konigsfeldt was named First
Team All-Big West in singles and doubles
following the 2012 season. For Konigsfeldt
an all-conference honor was nothing new
as he completed his UCSB career with
three first team awards and an honorable
mention. He was joined on the first team by
his doubles partner Taylor Chavez-Goggin
and Benjamin Recknagel. Following the
season, the Gauchos’ 2011 recruiting class
was ranked 24th in the nation, giving head
coach Marty Davis a reason to be optimistic
about his team’s future.

WOMEN’S
TRACK AND FIELD

Senior distance runner Amanda Moreno completed her outstanding season with a better
than four-second victory in the 5,000 meters at the Big Wes Track and Field Championships.
Moreno’s time of 16:44.21 was more than four seconds better than fellow-Gaucho Breanne
Strenkowski. Moreno, who earlier in the season set the league record in the 5k in a time of
15:58.02, qualified for the NCAA West Regional. In October, she set a Big West and school
record when she won the league’s individual cross country championship. She ran the 6k
course in 19:57.0, a little over 12 seconds better than the previous school record.

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 43

GOLDEN EAGLES
Fly High Academically
On Wednesday, May 4, the UC Santa Barbara Inter­collegiate
Athletics Department hosted its 24th Annual Golden Eagle Awards,
which honored 16 student-athletes for a combination of athletic
and academic achievement.
Additionally, two Gauchos – one male and one female – were chosen as Golden
Eagle Ring winners for achieving the highest grade point average among all UCSB
athletes.
The 2011 Golden Eagle Ring winners were Milos Golic of the men’s water polo
team and Cory Yoshida of women’s soccer. Golic, a native of Belgrade, Serbia, was a senior business economics major with a 3.78 grade point average. Yoshida was a junior majoring
in environmental studies and has posted a 3.68 grade point average.
The event, which is hosted every spring and is sponsored by Pacific Beverage Co., was held
at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Hotel in Santa Barbara and included a fantastic dinner followed by
the awards ceremony.
Golic, Machael David (men’s soccer) and Jordan Weiner (men’s basketball) each earned
their second Golden Eagle Award. Julian deRubira (men’s track and field), meanwhile, earned
his third.
UCSB had a total of 70 student-athletes earn Academic All-Conference awards. A total of
49 earned honors from in the Big West, 17 from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and
four from the Pac-10 Conference.
The Golden Eagle Awards and the banquet were once again generously sponsored by
Peter and Gerd Jordano.

Named Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year
STACEY SCHMIDT of the women’s volleyball team and JORDAN WEINER of the men’s basketball team
were named UC Santa Barbara’s 2010-11 Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year at a banquet hosted by
the conference in Garden Grove on March 10. Each of the nine league institutions selects the winners
from one of 18 conference-sponsored sports.
Schmidt, a junior on the women’s volleyball team, is business economics major. She has twice
earned All-Big West First Team honors (2009 and 2010) and led the Gauchos in hitting percentage
(.324), block solos (12) and block assists (78) this past season.
A member of the school’s Dean’s List twice, Stacey has also
participated on UCSB’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board for two years.
She also co-chaired a community service sub-committee last year that
organized UCSB’s Adopt-A-Family holiday program and helped an Isla Vista
elementary school purchase playground equipment.
Schmidt intends on applying to graduate school at UCSB and
would like to earn her Master’s in economics.
A former walk-on to the UCSB men’s basketball team, Weiner
developed into a starter’s role and a key scholarship player. He
played an instrumental role in UCSB’s back-to-back Big West Tournament Championships and subsequent trips to the Big Dance.
A three-time Big West All-Academic selection, Weiner participates in community service with the Boys and Girls Club in tandem
with the Gauchos Give holiday program. He also assists with local elementary schools by tutoring students in match and makes visits to terminally ill
children at Santa Barbara’s Cottage Hospital.
Weiner intends to pursue a law degree.

2011 UCSB Student-Athlete Sash Ceremony
DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 45

On May 26, UC Santa Barbara athletes gathered at the Isla Vista Theater for the Fourth Annual SB
Awards, the year-end awards show that celebrates the past season in UCSB Athletics by highlighting the
best performances by Gaucho athletes, coaches and teams.
UCSB’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board created the SB Awards in 2007-08. The first show was held
at The Hub in the University Center in May of 2008.
Gerry Fall, the Voice of the Gauchos, served as the event’s Master of Ceremonies for the third consecutive year and a collection of student-athletes presented the awards to their peers.
The show – which was preceded by a reception outside the theater – featured awards categories
ranging from Athlete of the Year to Best Team Performance. The majority of the award winners were
Brett Fick & Mathieu Forget
decided by an online vote of student-athletes, coaches and Athletics staff.
The 2011 event opened with a rousing musical performance of “Blue and Yellow” by Gaucho baseball player Brett Fick. He was joined on
stage by UCSB tennis star Mathieu Forget who performed a dazzling breakdance display.
Female Athlete of the Year
AMANDA MORENO (Cross Country/Track and Field)
Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Year…Set conference record for 6k championship race, winning in a time of 19:57.0…Defeated the second place finisher,
teammate Breanne Strenkowski, by 25 seconds…Finished eighth at the NCAA
West Regional and advanced to the NCAA Championships.
Male Athlete of the Year
JEFF MENZEL (Volleyball)
First Team All-American and First Team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation…
Men’s Volleyball – Men’s Team of the Year
Selected the Most Valuable Player of the MPSF Tournament after leading the
Gauchos to a trio of wins, including victories at No. 1 USC and No. 2 BYU…Led
UCSB to a win over USC in an NCAA Tournament semifinal match, lifting the team
to its first NCAA Championship match in 23 years.
Women’s Sport Coach of the Year
PETE DOLAN (Cross Country/Track and Field)
Was named Big West Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year…Led UCSB to
its second straight league championship and its fourth in the last five years…
Coached the Big West’s individual champion for the sixth time in eight years and
prompted two of his athletes to the NCAA Championships.
Women’s Cross Country – Women’s Team of the Year

Men’s Sport Coach of the Year
RICK MCLAUGHLIN (Volleyball)
Guided the Gauchos through an unprecedented postseason run that saw them win their firstever MPSF Tournament championship…Seventh-seeded UCSB opened the tourney with a win at
No. 2 BYU, a second round win over fifth-seeded Long Beach State and a title match victory over
top-ranked USC…The home losses were the first of the season for BYU and USC…The Gauchos
defeated USC in the NCAA Final Four and advanced to their first National Championship match
since 1988.

46 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

Rick McLaughlin –
Men’s Sport Coach of the Year

Women’s Team of the Year
CROSS COUNTRY
Won their second straight Big West Championship and their fourth in the last five years…Had three
runners finish in the top-20 at the NCAA West Regional and finished fifth as a team.
Men’s Team of the Year
VOLLEYBALL
Won its first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament ever…The MPSF Tournament run
included wins at No. 2 BYU and No. 1 USC…Defeated No. 1 USC in the semifinals of the NCAA
Championships before losing a five-set thriller to Ohio State in the National Championship match.

Barbara Nwaba –
Female Performance of the Year

Female Newcomer of the Year
PAIGE BRADLEY, ALLIE KNIGHT, ANDREA WARD and SOPHIA YAMAUCHI (Swimming)
The foursome combined for nearly two-thirds of second-place UCSB’s points at the MPSF Championship meet.
Male Newcomer of the Year
SAM GARZA (Soccer)
Scored nine goals and assisted on six others for 24 points…Named the Big West’s Offensive Player
of the Year and First Team All-Big West after leading the Gauchos to the league championship.
Female Performance of the Year
BARBARA NWABA (Indoor Track and Field)
Became the first UCSB athlete ever to garner All-American honors in indoor track…Finished ninth
in the pentathlon at the 2011 Indoor Track and Field Championship in College Station, Texas…She
scored 4,020 at the meet.

Dana Vargas & Cullen Irons –
Mr. & Ms. Gaucho

Male Individual Performance of the Year
ORLANDO JOHNSON (Basketball)
Named MVP of the Big West Tournament after pacing UCSB to the league crown and NCAA Tournament bid for the second straight year…Scored 85 points in the three games, making 12-of-18 threepoint attempts, as the fifth-seeded Gauchos became the lowest seeded team to win the tournament
since 1996…Beat three teams seeded ahead of them and three teams that beat them twice apiece
during the regular season, a conference first.
Team Performance of the Year
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Awarded for victory over No. 1 USC in the championship match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament.
Mr. and Ms. Gaucho
DANA VARGAS (Volleyball) and CULLEN IRONS (Volleyball)
Vargas and Irons were deemed to represent the meaning of being a Gaucho student-athlete.

Waid Ibrahim –
Phil Womble Gaucho Heart Award

Phil Womble Gaucho Heart Award
WAID IBRAHIM (Soccer)
Overcame heart problems to become a contributor for the successful men’s soccer program…Scored
the game-winning goal in overtime as the Gauchos defeated Denver in the first round of the 2010
NCAA Tournament.
Dare to Make a Difference Award
DR. RICK AND LINDY RYU
The Ryus are longtime supporters of UCSB Athletics. Rick, an orthopedic surgeon, has performed
surgeries on numerous Gaucho athletes throughout the years and they are both part of the Living
Scholar Program.

Dr. Rick and Lindy Ryu –
Dare to Make a Difference Award

DARE Spring/Summer 2011 • 47

Dare To Know

JEREMY BETTLE

Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Performance
Jeremy Bettle has been UCSB’s Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Performance since 2009. He’s been involved in the field since he
began working as a personal trainer in his native England in 2000.
After receiving his B.S. degree in Sports and Exercise Science from Leeds Metropolitan University in the U.K., Bettle came to the
United States to continue his education. He has since earned his M.S. and Ph. D. from Middle Tennessee State. He earned his Ph. D. in
Human Performance.
In terms of improving Gaucho athletes’ performance, Bettle understands the value of strength training, but he also believes that
improving performance goes well beyond that.
“We focus on a lot of areas, including injury prevention,” Bettle said. “It’s not just about squats and
dead lifts, it’s about emphasizing the things that will translate into an athlete becoming the best at their
sport. We want to create better basketball players, better soccer players, better athletes.”
Bettle has also made a push to change the nutrition habits of UCSB athletes and believes the
efforts are already paying off.
“We put a big emphasis on nutrition,” he said. “That is an area that’s widely neglected. Knowing
what type of nutrients you need to fuel the type of activity you are involved in is very important.
Nutrition for recovery is also very important, and I think it’s why we’ve been so successful in
tournament settings. We’re eating specifically for recovery.”
Beyond just feeding the athletes, Bettle has instituted “Nutrition Nights” that are designed to
teach athletes about better nutrition.
“That way we aren’t just feeding them,” he explained. “We’re telling them why they
should eat certain things and not others.”
And now, here are some things you probably don’t know about Bettle.
I grew up playing rugby and in the town of Rugby, 100 miles north of London, where
the sport was born.
I met my wife Michelle on the first day I arrived in the United States.
We have three big dogs: Bettie (a terrier), Phyllis (a deaf, white bulldog)
and Ella (a Rottweiler-Mastiff mix).
I work with NBA players during the offseason.
I likes chocolate, but I make my own and it’s healthier.
I love coffee.
When I was growing up playing rugby, I tried to emulate
some of the great English rugby players.
I prefer Surge to Muscle Milk.
I do a lot of reading on financial success and read a lot
of stuff by Dave Ramsey.
We just put Friday night movie night in our budget (a
Dave Ramsey thing) and we also get stuff off of Netflix to
stream on the computer. Lots of BBC things.
I don’t own a television.
In the last year, the worst thing I’ve eaten was a legit pizza.
I have an absolute fear of eating anything bad because I should practice what
I preach. Michelle and I eat in the back of restaurants in the dark so that none
of our athletes will see us out at dinner.
I have a picture of the inside of my refrigerator on by Blackberry. I’m very
proud of what’s in there.
I’ve never tasted a Krispy Kreme donut.
I confiscated and threw away a dozen donuts that a coach brought to practice.
The coach was going to give them to the team as a reward. I was not happy.
48 • DARE Spring/Summer 2011

In 2009, UCSB Athletics introduced
a program to honor the outstanding
athletes and coaches whose legendary performances were responsible for transforming
the Campus Events Center into the legendary
Thunderdome.
To immortalize the Gaucho greats, the “Legends of the ‘Dome” program was created. Now,
two years later, eight banners adorn the walls
of the Thunderdome’s end court.
In 2009-10, the first five “Legends” were unveiled. Women’s volleyball All-American Roberta Gehlke became the first honoree. Her banner
was unfurled on Oct. 17, 2009. Gehlke was
followed, in order, by Carrick DeHart (men’s
basketball), Mark French (women’s basketball
coach), Brian Shaw (men’s basketball) and Barb
Beainy (women’s basketball).
In 2010-11, three more “Legends” were born.
Women’s volleyball coach Kathy Gregory saw
her banner revealed before a match against
nationally-ranked Long Beach State. Her team
responded with a thrilling five-set victory over
the 49ers.
During the basketball season, Eric “The Freeze”
McArthur became the third men’s basketball
player to be deemed a “Legend of the Dome”
and Kristen Mann became the third women’s
player so honored.

A LEGACY-THUNDERDOME
Originally called the Campus Events Center, the
Thunderdome was christened in 1987 when
UCSB’s Sports Information Director off-handedly referred to it as such in a phone call with a
local television sports anchor. The anchor asked
if he could use the reference on the air and the
rest is history. The reason for Thunderdome?
The noise at Gaucho basketball games was
similar to what Mad Max had to cope with in
the movie “Mad Max, Beyond Thunderdome.”

In 2011-12, four more “Legends of the ‘Dome”
will be introduced.
The late Judy Bellomo, a former women’s volleyball great, will be honored before to the
Gauchos’ home match against UC Riverside
on October 15. The new men’s and women’s
basketball honorees will be announced at the
annual Media Day in October.
This year’s class of “Legends of the ‘Dome” will
be the first to be revealed prior to the unveiling
of their banners.

WITH NEW HEAD COACH CARLENE
MITCHELL AT THE HELM, KELSEY ADRIAN
AND THE GAUCHOS ARE ON THE PATH
BACK TO BIG WEST DOMINANCE.